


i could hold you in the palm of my hand

by frogparties



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Drabble, Established Relationship, Light Angst, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, spoiler warning: tobio is a cat person after all, the mortifying ordeal of being known by a kitten
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:22:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28355385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frogparties/pseuds/frogparties
Summary: Tobio has never been good with animals. That’s what he thinks, anyway.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 18
Kudos: 110





	i could hold you in the palm of my hand

Tobio’s never been a dog person. He’s never been a cat person, either, or much of an animal person at all. Well, scratch that, let’s be honest here. In the twenty-something years of Tobio’s crazily blessed and happy life, he’s never stumbled upon a single creature that is a Tobio animal. No matter how much he lowers his voice and squats down close to the ground and tries his best to pose as a friendly, non-threatening boy, every single animal he’s attempted to befriend has either scratched him, bit him, or scrammed.

So it’s understandable that he’d absolutely freak out and shut himself in the guest bathroom when Shouyou brought home a fucking ravenous beast and assumed Tobio would be fine with it. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t a ravenous beast. Maybe it was more of a kitten. A small, gray kitten that slept peacefully in Shouyou’s arms as he explained how he’d found him outside the shop and he’d been soaked through with the rain and C’mon, Tobio, I know you’ll love him, can we keep him, pleeeeease?

Shouyou had laughed at first when Tobio locked himself in the bathroom, his warm voice joking at how such a tall guy would get scared of a kitten, of all things. 

“C’mon, babe,” he’d said, teasing, “Ushijima-san was way scarier than this li’l guy and you had no troubles there.” 

When his boyfriend didn’t laugh back, Shouyou's voice had lost its lilt and dropped, concerned. 

“Tobio? I’m gonna go dry his fur, okay? So he doesn’t catch a cold. But I’ll be right back and we’ll talk, yeah?” _Do cats even get colds?_ “Tobes?” Tobio had grunted in response and tried to shove down the apprehension climbing up his throat.

* * *

It’s been about twenty minutes. Tobio is now sitting on the floor of their tiny guest bathroom, wiggling his socked toes and trying to figure out the unpleasant coil of feelings sitting in his stomach. They feel like something similar to fear.

He can hear Shouyou puttering about the apartment, talking to the ravenous beast in a hushed, happy voice through the whirr of the hair dryer. Warmth blooms in his chest at the image of Shouyou giving the kitten a bath (he _would_ , he definitely would) and then toweling and drying off his fur and cooing at him and –

No. He can’t get attached to the ravenous beast, because it will hate Tobio and bite him and escape their house to get away from him and then Shouyou will be heartbroken and it’ll all be Tobio’s fault. ( _Or maybe_ , something traitorous and silly and hopeful says within him, _maybe he’ll love you, too, and it’ll be alright._ He tries to squash that thought down before it hurts him down the line, but finds himself incapable when Shouyou’s laugh rings out and he hears him whispering to the kitten again.

Maybe, Tobio reasons, he can just be _cordial_ towards the kitten, have only the barest and most necessary interactions with him as not to scare him off, and let Shouyou get all of the love and affection. Shou obviously deserves it and maybe that’d be fine, even if Tobio can never scratch the kitten’s ears or sleep with the kitten curled up on his stomach or anything like that. They sound like they’re getting along just fine already, anyway, and he really does love watching Shouyou being happy, so maybe that’d be okay. Maybe.)

He hears Shouyou’s footsteps padding down the hall and the soft _thump_ as he sits down in front of the door, the light drum on the wood as Shouyou knocks with the tips of his fingers. 

“Tobes?”

“Hi,” he manages to croak out.

“He’s great, I swear, really, just a little sleepy right now, but I’m sure you’ll love him.” _It’s not that_ , Tobio wants to say. _I think I already do, I’m just scared he won’t love me back._ But that feels pathetic, he’s already locked the door and he’s been sitting on the floor going on half an hour now and he can’t stand the thought of saying that and Shou laughing at him, disbelieving, and then having it come true and seeing the pity in Shou’s eyes at his absolute unlovable self. He shakes his head, trying to push out the thoughts. _I’m not unlovable._

“I swear you’ll love him!” _It’s not that_. “He’s really well behaved, I gave him a bath”—Tobio’s mouth quirks up in instinctive fondness—“sorry, I just thought maybe he was dirty and it was better, um, but he’s really relaxed and nice.” Tobio is still trying to unravel the feeling squeezing at his heart when Shouyou speaks again, his voice not much higher than a mumble. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t ask, really, I just thought we at least could keep him for a little while, we can take him to a shelter tomorrow if you’re uncomfortable.” 

Guilt spikes up in Tobio’s chest like ice and he grapples at the door and yanks it open.

_“No!”_

“Huh?” Shouyou squeaks out.

“I mean.” He takes his head in his hands and groans, then looks up at the absolutely baffled face sitting inches away from him. “I mean, _no_ , I don’t want to take him to the shelter. I’m sorry I hid in the bathroom.” He scoots closer, apologetic, then freezes at the sight of the kitten in Shouyou’s lap. 

“I’m sorry I brought him home without asking.” 

“It’s not that.” Shouyou looks up, befuddled, and Tobio wrangles out the knot in his feelings and tries to talk them out. “I mean sure, you could’ve told me, but…” He looks down at the kitten playing with the hem of Shouyou’s sweatshirt and pushes the words out. They come out softer than he’d meant to. 

“Animals have never liked me. I’m scared he’ll hate me too.” He braces himself for an incredulous laugh or an angry comment at his ridiculousness, but he’s surprised to look up and meet Shouyou’s eyes to find nothing but warm affection shining in them. Shou softly deposits the kitten on the ground, crawls over to Tobio and wraps his arms around him. Tobio freezes, then slumps into his boyfriend’s touch, hugs him back and buries his nose in Shou’s neck. He hums as Shou’s fingers run through his hair and feels him press a kiss to his neck.

“I was so insistent on saying you’d love him because I was absolutely sure he’d love you. And I still am. I never doubted it.” Another kiss, like punctuation, and Tobio’s heart soars at the certainty in Shouyou’s voice. His chest feels so warm and full he’s distantly surprised at how it hasn’t burst open, and small tingles run along his skin where Shou kissed him.

“You’re not mad?” Tobio mumbles.

Shouyou huffs out a surprised laugh and pulls away, hands slipping down to hold Tobio’s forearms. “ _You’re_ not mad?” Tobio shakes his head and Shouyou sighs in relief, smiles, falls back into the hug.

“I feel so silly,” he mumbles into Tobio’s skin. “I thought you were upset about the vaccines or something.” 

“Why would I be upset about vaccines?” 

“I don’t know! Maybe you were afraid he had rabies.”

“Do cats get rabies.”

“Maybe. Who knows.” 

Something tugs at Tobio’s foot, and when he looks away from Shouyou’s neck to see, his breath catches in his throat.

“Shou,” he says, voice quiet and low and _please please please stay there don’t move I’m not scary I’m friendly please_ drumming in his head. “Don’t move too quick, but _look_.” 

The kitten is pawing at Tobio’s sock, slow and curious and playful, and Tobio’s chest _will_ burst sometime soon and he’s way too young to be worrying about his heart’s condition. Shouyou’s laugh spills out in glee when he sees, and he tumbles forward against Tobio’s chest to press a kiss to his lips. 

“I told you, I told you, I told you!” He laughs again, giddy with joy, and Tobio does too. “It’s impossible not to love you, y’know.” 

* * *

The kitten stalks away soon after to paw at the plants laid out by the windows, but the warmth in Tobio’s chest remains. After another handful of kisses and laughs, Shouyou untangles himself to make sure their plants stay alive, and Tobio shoots Hoshiumi a text asking for nearby vet recommendations. One of his friends is either a vet or close to becoming one or is just obsessed with dogs or something, and Tobio figures cats are similar enough. Then he sits himself on the couch, compiles a list of names, and orders four books on kitten care and behaviour, a bed, a litter box, and a funny looking toy. 

Shouyou sits next to him as they plan out their vet visit for the next day and gives his detailed opinions on the forty three names Tobio has thought up. One of Tobio’s favourites, _Setter_ , is dismissed with a cackle, but _Yogurt_ thankfully remains in the running. The still unnamed kitten circles around their feet, pounces at the volleyball in the corner of the living room, and finally settles down on the couch next to Shouyou’s thigh.

While Tobio pores over the remaining names on the list, Shouyou walks off into the kitchen to examine their fridge and pantry in search of acceptable cat food. After a quick online search, a struggle with the can opener, and a step-by-step instructional video, he succeeds in opening a tin of fish. He continues his expedition for cat food, comes across Tobio’s organic, grass-fed milk, and pours some into a small dish.

When he walks back into the living room, bearing a bowl of tuna and the dish of milk, he finds Tobio asleep on the couch with the still unnamed kitten curled up on his chest. Shouyou’s heart blooms.

* * *

Tobio is a cat person. Well, actually he’s a grey, tiny, fluffy kitten kind of person. His morning routine includes cleaning out a litter box, brushing out Beast’s hair (the ‘Ravenous’ bit was cut out by Shouyou), filling up his water bowl and attempting to train him to use a scratching post. His nighttime routine has also expanded, and now he’ll run around the apartment brandishing a tiny toothbrush to try and clean Beast’s mouth. Sometimes Shouyou does it. Usually he just watches the chase, his fond laughter spilling out and filling the room while Tobio attempts to convince the kitten this is actually a good thing and not some sort of modern torture. 

Tobio’s life also includes sometimes waking up to a small ball of fur nestled on his chest and feeling like love is unspooling throughout his body. It includes a tiny creature following him to the bathroom and walking so close to his feet he has to be careful not to trip. It includes scratching a tiny kitten’s ears, and hearing a purr that thrums through his bones. And it includes Shouyou’s beautiful, warm laugh, the one that says _See? It’s impossible not to love you._

**Author's Note:**

> thank u for reading!!! this is my first fic, i’m really happy and excited to post it!!


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